Karlsson Highlights Postseason BSC Awards

Robert Karlsson (left), Tobias Pettersson (center) and Jay Calvo (right) all were honored with Big South Conference postseason honors.

Liberty's Robert Karlsson was unanimously named Big South Freshman Golfer of the Year, highlighting three Flames recognized with postseason honors on the eve of the league's championship, a three-day/54-hole event, teeing off today.

Karlsson (Kalmar, Sweden) and fellow freshman Tobias Pettersson (Kalmar, Sweden) both earned all-conference honors, taking two of the five spots. Another five golfers will earn all-league honors at the conclusion of the Big South Championship. The top five finishers not already named on the all-conference team will join the squad.

Karlsson became the first Liberty golfer to win the freshman of the year award since the Big South added the award to its postseason ballot. From 1989-2003, the highest finishing freshman was named Big South Freshman of the Year. Liberty's Andrew Turner was the last and only honoree to captures the award under the original structure in 2003.

Karlsson burst into the scene in January and immediately established himself among the nation's best. He has posted a 71.82 scoring average in six events this spring and jumped into Golfweek's national rankings at No. 39. In his first career tournament, Karlsson tied for third with an even-par score, and then finished fifth with a two-under par effort in his next event. Karlsson claimed medalist honors in his next two outings – winning the Cleveland Golf Palmetto (1-under par) and the First Market Bank Intercollegiate (1-under par). He added a fourth-place finish at the Colorado-Stevinson Ranch Invite for his fifth top 5 finish in his first five collegiate tournaments. Karlsson has scored under par in nine of his 17 rounds, with a low of 67 twice.

Pettersson is the third-highest ranked golfer in the conference with a scoring average of 73.56 over nine events, ranking only behind the league's unanimous choice for Big South Golfer of the Year (Coastal Carolina's Zach Byrd) and Karlsson. Pettersson and Karlsson were two of the three Big South golfers this year to win medalist honors at an event, with Karlsson being the only golfer in the league to win multiple medalist honors. Pettersson won medalist honors in his fourth collegiate tournament at ODU's Seascape Invitational. Presbyterian's Thomas Todd is the third member of the trio of Big South medalists this season.

Jay Calvo (Baird, Texas) rounds out the Liberty honorees on the Big South All-Academic Team. Calvo has a scoring average of 75.65 over nine rounds. The senior is coming off a season after being named a Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar for NCAA Division I golfers in 2008. The sport management major is sporting a 3.16 cumulative GPA.

Calvo, Karlsson and Pettersson return to action today at the Big South Conference Championship, contested over three days in Ninety-Six, S.C., at The Patriot Club.